You’re sore. You’re tired. You don’t want to go into training today.
Your friends invited you to a party, but you turned them down because of training. Now, after seeing your friends’ pictures, you regret your decision.
“I should have gone,” you say to yourself. “Everyone looks like they had a great time. Is all this training really worth it?”
Motivation
It’s easy to stay motivated when training is going well. It’s harder to stay motivated when training is tough.
It’s common sense. A fact of life. But, why is that the case?
Think about it this way.
A stranger approaches you on the street and strikes up a conversation. “Hey,” they say. “I’ve got a great job offer for you.”
“Okay,” you say. “What are the hours?”
“Five hours per day, six days a week,” they reply. “Start time is 4:30 in the morning. It’s super convenient! You can fit it in on top of all your other activities.”
“Um. Okay,” you say. “How much do I get paid?”
“Paid?” the stranger asks. “Hahaha. Good one. I don’t pay you, you pay me. Also, you’ll have to work your butt off for the next five to seven years before you’ll get any recognition. The work environment is excellent! Highly stimulating, highly competitive, even cut-throat. Your advancement is based on your performance and luck. But, the payoff, if you succeed, will definitely be worth it. It’s the offer of a lifetime!”
What do you think, would you take their offer?
Probably not.
Are you sure? After all, isn’t this job offer very similar to the training you do every single day?
Why?
Practice. Workouts. Stretching. Nutrition. Rest. Recovery. Study. You push yourself to the limit everyday.
But, is all of this struggle and sacrifice worth it? I mean, there’s no guarantee that you’ll ever reach your dreams.
So, why do you do it? Why do you push through all the pain and sacrifice?
Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?
Having a Big Enough Why is important. Without one, training becomes exactly like that stranger’s job offer.
Because you love the sport. The rush you get chasing a personal best. Working to prove something to yourself.
These are all valid “whys”.
You need to know the reason you play your sport. The reason you truly believe in. What matters is that you have a reason you truly believe in. You need to know a reason that motivates you to push yourself to the limit in training every single day.
Let’s take a moment to find your Big Enough Why.
Big Enough Why Exercise Time: 5 minutes
We are going to cut through the crap that clouds your mind, and get back to basics.
Step 1
Here are some questions you can use to get started on finding your Big Enough Why. Pick one to help you get your mind (and heart) working. Do not start answering it until you get to step 2.
What do you love about playing your sport? Why did you start playing? What keeps you playing? How do you feel when you play?
Step 2
Set your phone timer for 3 minutes and answer the questions. Write down everything that pops into your mind. Write as fast as you can. Keep writing everything and anything for 3 minutes.
If you get stuck during the 3 minutes, go back and pick another question to prompt your brain.
Step 3
Time’s up. Without thinking too much, pick the number 1 reason that resonated the most with you.
We have a tendency to overthink when making choices, but at this moment, you already know which one is your Big Enough Why.
Bonus step
Did anything strike you as interesting when you did this exercise? What thoughts did you have about what you wrote? Any “Aha” moments?
Write these down.
Once you’ve finished the exercise, come back to this article, so I can teach you how to use it to motivate yourself.
How to Use Your Big Enough Why
Your Big Enough Why is your Go To tool to get your mindset and your training back on track.
When you’d rather be doing anything other than training. Ask yourself this question.
“Is what I’m doing going to help me get to my goals?”
If your answer is no, then pull out your Big Enough Why. Use it to get your training and your mindset back on track. Your Big Enough Why will get you re-motivated so that you can push through once more